I actually did better at Philly than my expectations. I told Tom that I didn't think it was unrealistic that I would do something "around 4:30." The operative word here being "around." I didn't want to be disappointed if I didn't make my goal. And "around" can mean anything from 5 to 15 minutes in either direction. LOL!
I haven't done a marathon since Jersey Shore in 2004 so I really didn't know what to expect. Yes, I had done a few long runs prior, but in all honesty, none more than 18 miles (LBI). But I was determined about two things: I was going to stick to a pace between 10 and 10:30 minutes/mile no matter what and I was going to take 1-minute walk breaks every 2 miles whether I felt like I needed them or not.
This worked well until I got to the halfway point at 13.1. When I arrived there, I could have sworn that I just passed Mile 12 about a few minutes ago, 7:52 to be exact! I asked a runner next to me what was going on and he said that the 12 mile sign was actually for the half-marathoners. Well, that kinda threw me off base a bit because I was taking my walk breaks at the even number miles. Now, because of that snafu, I would have to change it to odd numbers. Not a real big deal but when you're running 26.2 miles, you don't need any added confusion thrown in along the way.
I actually felt pretty good up until Mile 21. I felt better doing this race than I did doing LBI because there was virtually no wind. It was a beautiful course, too, never boring. You went through shopping districts,the downtown Philly area, a park, alongside a river, even along a roadcalled Kelly Drive, which Tom pointed out. And, with the exception of acouple of small ones, no really big hills to worry about. The crowds were enthusiastic, too.
The stiffness hit at Mile 21. Fortunately, I had been taking inGatorade at all of the water stops so that helped to offset some of the cramping somewhat but it's not a permanent effect. You have to keep taking it. At this point, my walk breaks went from 1 minute to 1:15 minutes to 2:00 minutes. I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to finish. Amazingly, according to the course clocks and my watch, I was pretty much right about where I wanted to be timewise.
At mile 23, I saw a woman running with a bunch of balloons and a sign that read 4:15 pace. She soon passed me by, however, and there was no way I was going to catch up to her. It's true what they say, the last 6 miles of a marathon are a beast. As I got closer and closer to the finish line, people kept yelling "You're almost there!" At one point, I shouted back, "Where's there?" and they laughed. Seriously, it seemed as if the finish was nowhere in sight. And there it was, finally!
The clock said 4:25:05 but my watch (chip time)said 4:20:05. (As Tom, the Lottery King, later pointed out, my bib number was 4205...weird! Only Tom would make this connection.) This was not a 10minute pace, but a 9:55 pace--31 FREAKING MINUTES OFF MY LAST MARATHON IN 2004!! ! No wonder I felt tired, achy and queasy.
Afterwards, all I wanted to do was sit down on the curb but I was afraid Iwould not be able to get up again. I ambled on over to the food tent, looking remarkably like someone trying to take a sobriety test. I could not seem to walk a straight line no matter how hard I tried. I got a banana, some water, found a chair, called Catherine and Tom to let them know where to find me. Although I had stopped running five minutes ago, it seemed as if my whole body was still racing. I don't know if was from the physical effects of the marathon or just looking at my running watch in disbelief.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Sunday, November 05, 2006
What a (use your own expletive)!
Gawker.com has something called the Douchebag Awards, intended for people who act like, well, douchebags. Maybe I should start something similar here although I would have to change the name of the awards to something else, lest I be accused of being a copycat and a plagiarist.
I found this little gem in my emailbox last night:
Do you have nothing better to do then sit on your computer and discuss the personal lives of people who you do not know? I am speaking about your comments about the Carbones being "numerous and breeders". People in the 1940's and 50's were know for having more than the typical 2.5 children of this generation. I would like you to know that May and Sam Carbone have left a legacy of healthy and successful adults who contribute to society. They are teachers, engineers, architects, mothers and fathers.
Sincerely,
Jaime
Granddaughter of May and Sam Carbone
My first reaction was wha...? I don't know any of these people, I don't know anyone in East Rutherford, I don't remember making this comment, and who is this (use your own expletive)?
But I decided to do a little investigation. Since it was obvious she was referring to Baristanet.com, I went to the site and typed "Carbone" into Google. I DO remember a discussion about East Rutherford and a reference to the Carbone family. But, I repeat, I DID NOT MAKE IT!
And sure enough, there it was, the aforementioned comment, attributed to another blogger who shall remain nameless.
So, Ms. Jaime, I ask you this question: Do you have nothing better to do then sit on your computer and discuss the personal lives of people who you do not know?
May I also suggest that although "May and Sam Carbone left a legacy of healthy and successful adults who contribute to society," that you might not be one of them?
I found this little gem in my emailbox last night:
Do you have nothing better to do then sit on your computer and discuss the personal lives of people who you do not know? I am speaking about your comments about the Carbones being "numerous and breeders". People in the 1940's and 50's were know for having more than the typical 2.5 children of this generation. I would like you to know that May and Sam Carbone have left a legacy of healthy and successful adults who contribute to society. They are teachers, engineers, architects, mothers and fathers.
Sincerely,
Jaime
Granddaughter of May and Sam Carbone
My first reaction was wha...? I don't know any of these people, I don't know anyone in East Rutherford, I don't remember making this comment, and who is this (use your own expletive)?
But I decided to do a little investigation. Since it was obvious she was referring to Baristanet.com, I went to the site and typed "Carbone" into Google. I DO remember a discussion about East Rutherford and a reference to the Carbone family. But, I repeat, I DID NOT MAKE IT!
And sure enough, there it was, the aforementioned comment, attributed to another blogger who shall remain nameless.
So, Ms. Jaime, I ask you this question: Do you have nothing better to do then sit on your computer and discuss the personal lives of people who you do not know?
May I also suggest that although "May and Sam Carbone left a legacy of healthy and successful adults who contribute to society," that you might not be one of them?
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
No Surprises Here
Who needs an October surprise when you have asshats like this putting his proverbial foot into his mouth?
www.nydailynews.com/front/story/467194p-393105c.html
Keep 'em coming, Dems!
www.nydailynews.com/front/story/467194p-393105c.html
Keep 'em coming, Dems!
Monday, October 30, 2006
Happy Morning!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQI2KlAurOg
A friend of mine from Canada thinks this is the funniest thing she's ever seen. I find it mildly disturbing.
A friend of mine from Canada thinks this is the funniest thing she's ever seen. I find it mildly disturbing.
Some Ramblings
I'm a great-auntie! My nephew and his wife from Houston welcomed A.J. Rose into the world on October 27! Details to follow but I hear mama and baby are doing fine. Geez, it wasn't that long ago when my nephew Harris was a baby himself! (Actually, it was 34 years ago but who's counting?) :-)
***********************************************************************************
Baristanet introduced this CAPTCHA feature which is driving me (and probably others) loco.
Evidently, they've been plagued with spam so the CAPTCHA is designed to keep out the spambots by making humans type in some numerals and letters. Fine, I understand. Craigslist does the same thing.
However, if you post at say, 6 PM and you try to post again 5 minutes later, you're shit outta luck. Try your post again in 3 hours! No, I am not being facetious.
I know that they're trying to make improvements to the site but they've asked for our feedback and I vented about it. You asked for it, you got it, Toyota!
I hope my comments have not fallen on deaf ears. If they have, I will have to look for my entertainment elsewhere. Oh no!
************************************************************************************
Yesterday, Tom & I did this cross-country 5K down in Holmdel. To say the course was challenging would be an understatement. Hills, treacherous paths through the woods, not to mention 25 MPH winds. Neither one of us had great times but our goal was to actually incorporate this as part of a longer run in preparation for the Philly Marathon on Nov. 19.
Well, we went around the course 2-1/2 more times, ran out on the flat road a bit and then called it quits. We had wanted to do about 20 miles but only ended up doing 16. The wind was beating us up!
I almost never get tired on long runs but I felt wiped afterwards. Another friend from the running club said that running in those conditions is tantamount to doing a longer distance. That made me feel a little better about it.
Curious to see how I'll do in Philly. Tom needs to do 4:15 to qualify for Boston. I don't care if I qualify for Boston but I would like to do around 4:30. Marathons are not really my event. I do better in the 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons. Marathons just take a lot out of you and you really have to put in the time and mileage to do well.
This is my last marathon, folks. You read it here.
***********************************************************************************
Baristanet introduced this CAPTCHA feature which is driving me (and probably others) loco.
Evidently, they've been plagued with spam so the CAPTCHA is designed to keep out the spambots by making humans type in some numerals and letters. Fine, I understand. Craigslist does the same thing.
However, if you post at say, 6 PM and you try to post again 5 minutes later, you're shit outta luck. Try your post again in 3 hours! No, I am not being facetious.
I know that they're trying to make improvements to the site but they've asked for our feedback and I vented about it. You asked for it, you got it, Toyota!
I hope my comments have not fallen on deaf ears. If they have, I will have to look for my entertainment elsewhere. Oh no!
************************************************************************************
Yesterday, Tom & I did this cross-country 5K down in Holmdel. To say the course was challenging would be an understatement. Hills, treacherous paths through the woods, not to mention 25 MPH winds. Neither one of us had great times but our goal was to actually incorporate this as part of a longer run in preparation for the Philly Marathon on Nov. 19.
Well, we went around the course 2-1/2 more times, ran out on the flat road a bit and then called it quits. We had wanted to do about 20 miles but only ended up doing 16. The wind was beating us up!
I almost never get tired on long runs but I felt wiped afterwards. Another friend from the running club said that running in those conditions is tantamount to doing a longer distance. That made me feel a little better about it.
Curious to see how I'll do in Philly. Tom needs to do 4:15 to qualify for Boston. I don't care if I qualify for Boston but I would like to do around 4:30. Marathons are not really my event. I do better in the 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons. Marathons just take a lot out of you and you really have to put in the time and mileage to do well.
This is my last marathon, folks. You read it here.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
And the Point Is?
I am a fan of Joyce Carol Oates but for the life of me, I can't figure out the point of her latest short story, titled "Landfill," which was published in the October 9 issue of The New Yorker. It is categorized as fiction but according to a Letter to the Editor published in the October 23 issue, it appears to be based on an actual event. I'll get to that later.
A brief synopsis: "Landfill" recounts the story of Hector Campos, Jr. of Southfield, MI, , a 19-year-old college student at Michigan State University who is reported missing by his dorm mates in late March. To make a short story even shorter, his remains are found in the Tioga County landfill. But it was well-known that Hector had a proclivity for getting drunk at frat parties and one night, he crossed the line into a drunken stupor and some other drunken frat boys, as a joke, pushed his body down a garbage chute into a dumpster. They claimed they checked the dumpster later that evening but that Hector had somehow vanished. How he ended up in the Tioga County landfill is anyone's guess.
Are you still with me?
If a fiction writer wants to engender sympathy from readers for a particular character, he or she should create qualities in said character that are, um, sympathetic. I read through seven pages of this story and could find no good reason why I should feel waves of compassion for this boy. In fact, the mood of this whole story was about as inviting as a well, a landfill.
Hector, or Scoot as his friends called him, was a mediocre student at best. He would attend his engineering classes either hung over or if sober, thinking about the next frat party.
As far as acceptance into his fraternity Phi Epsilon goes, he and several other pledges were accepted merely to "fill out the membership." Even if he was aware of this fact, he desperately wanted to fit in somewhere.
A girl he had been planning to take to a frat party sent him an email that "something's come up." "Bitch," he thinks to himself, "I knew I couldn't trust her."
His roommates barely tolerated him. When interviewed about Scoot's disappearance, the words and phrases that pop up are "uninteresting," "drunk like an asshole," and a reference to the fact that he, when drunk, would "piss on the toilet seat and the floor and the next day act like it's some goddam joke." So far, I am not feeling the love here.
His relationship with his parents wasn't much better. His extremely over-protective mother would text message and call him on his cell phone constantly. He would erase the messages. His contact with his father in the story is merely illustrated by an urgent request to send money so that he can pledge the frat house.
Scoot's death, while tragic, is anti-climactic. While we are shown the mother's grief and introspection, we are never introduced to any friends from high school, neighbors, cousins, former girlfriends, ANYONE who can offer a glimpse into the life of this kid. He didn't even seem to have a best bud. No pets. Gosh, even the other annoying, drunken frat boys found him annoying. What made him special and, more importantly, why did I just wade through seven pages of this story, waiting for the other shoe to drop?
Getting back to the my point in the first paragraph. Mandee Wilton from Ringoes, NJ (I always loved the name of that town!), writes a letter chastising Oates for characterizing her story as fiction when it so closely resembles real-life events. In her letter, she notes that the story "uses nearly the exact dates, times, descriptions, and scenarios" from a traumatic story of a young man from the College of New Jersey who disappeared this past March and whose body was found later in a landfill. She points out other similarities between the fictional character and the real one; for example, both were 19 and were named for their fathers. Wilton feels that Oates could have, ''Just as easily created a fictional piece of her own, rather than incorporating such significant details...from a well-known, real-life tragedy."
As a writer, I disagree. Since Man has been writing on cave walls, he has taken events from real life and made them into fictional works. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, providing enough details are changed. I, for one, get a lot of my ideas for my work from newspaper stories. The real creativity comes from getting inside the characters' heads and creating a persona plus being able to create a captivating, compelling story line.
I don't think Oates did that here. If she borrowed from real life, fine. However, the question remains, why did she borrow someone so mediocre and boring? If Hector Campos, Jr., was portrayed as a mean, rotten sonofabitch who kicked kittens and cursed at his mother and who everyone hated with a passion, that would have made for a far more interesting read. Instead, he comes off as just another drunken, boring frat boy, not even as remotely interesting as Flounder from "Animal House."
A brief synopsis: "Landfill" recounts the story of Hector Campos, Jr. of Southfield, MI, , a 19-year-old college student at Michigan State University who is reported missing by his dorm mates in late March. To make a short story even shorter, his remains are found in the Tioga County landfill. But it was well-known that Hector had a proclivity for getting drunk at frat parties and one night, he crossed the line into a drunken stupor and some other drunken frat boys, as a joke, pushed his body down a garbage chute into a dumpster. They claimed they checked the dumpster later that evening but that Hector had somehow vanished. How he ended up in the Tioga County landfill is anyone's guess.
Are you still with me?
If a fiction writer wants to engender sympathy from readers for a particular character, he or she should create qualities in said character that are, um, sympathetic. I read through seven pages of this story and could find no good reason why I should feel waves of compassion for this boy. In fact, the mood of this whole story was about as inviting as a well, a landfill.
Hector, or Scoot as his friends called him, was a mediocre student at best. He would attend his engineering classes either hung over or if sober, thinking about the next frat party.
As far as acceptance into his fraternity Phi Epsilon goes, he and several other pledges were accepted merely to "fill out the membership." Even if he was aware of this fact, he desperately wanted to fit in somewhere.
A girl he had been planning to take to a frat party sent him an email that "something's come up." "Bitch," he thinks to himself, "I knew I couldn't trust her."
His roommates barely tolerated him. When interviewed about Scoot's disappearance, the words and phrases that pop up are "uninteresting," "drunk like an asshole," and a reference to the fact that he, when drunk, would "piss on the toilet seat and the floor and the next day act like it's some goddam joke." So far, I am not feeling the love here.
His relationship with his parents wasn't much better. His extremely over-protective mother would text message and call him on his cell phone constantly. He would erase the messages. His contact with his father in the story is merely illustrated by an urgent request to send money so that he can pledge the frat house.
Scoot's death, while tragic, is anti-climactic. While we are shown the mother's grief and introspection, we are never introduced to any friends from high school, neighbors, cousins, former girlfriends, ANYONE who can offer a glimpse into the life of this kid. He didn't even seem to have a best bud. No pets. Gosh, even the other annoying, drunken frat boys found him annoying. What made him special and, more importantly, why did I just wade through seven pages of this story, waiting for the other shoe to drop?
Getting back to the my point in the first paragraph. Mandee Wilton from Ringoes, NJ (I always loved the name of that town!), writes a letter chastising Oates for characterizing her story as fiction when it so closely resembles real-life events. In her letter, she notes that the story "uses nearly the exact dates, times, descriptions, and scenarios" from a traumatic story of a young man from the College of New Jersey who disappeared this past March and whose body was found later in a landfill. She points out other similarities between the fictional character and the real one; for example, both were 19 and were named for their fathers. Wilton feels that Oates could have, ''Just as easily created a fictional piece of her own, rather than incorporating such significant details...from a well-known, real-life tragedy."
As a writer, I disagree. Since Man has been writing on cave walls, he has taken events from real life and made them into fictional works. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this, providing enough details are changed. I, for one, get a lot of my ideas for my work from newspaper stories. The real creativity comes from getting inside the characters' heads and creating a persona plus being able to create a captivating, compelling story line.
I don't think Oates did that here. If she borrowed from real life, fine. However, the question remains, why did she borrow someone so mediocre and boring? If Hector Campos, Jr., was portrayed as a mean, rotten sonofabitch who kicked kittens and cursed at his mother and who everyone hated with a passion, that would have made for a far more interesting read. Instead, he comes off as just another drunken, boring frat boy, not even as remotely interesting as Flounder from "Animal House."
Monday, September 11, 2006
That Day
I was sitting in my office catching up on emails when a young assistant comes running in to tell me that a plane just hit one of WTC towers. Like many people, I just thought it was a mere pilot error, but got up and walked into the conference room to join my co-workers in watching the morning newscast.
My first reaction was, "What was this pilot thinking?" when we saw the second plane hit. Now we knew it was no accident.
I knew who was responsible the minute I saw this and it came as no surprise. What DID come as a surprise was the collapse of the first tower, and later the second. I don't think anything could prepare us for that.
I am not a person who cries easily but that day was the exception. The same was true for many of my co-workers, of all ages, both men and women.
Needless to say, our CEO called us all into the conference room and sent us home early. Getting home is another story and I'll spare you that one.
I do remember walking up to Fifth Avenue and looking towards downtown. Even from Midtown Manhattan, you could see the billowing smoke all too clearly. It was a surreal expereince but then I remembered it was not surreal, but all too real.
Taking the ferry over to Weehawken (no buses or trains were running), I sat next to a woman who was clearly agitated, more so than I. I tried to distract her a bit by getting her to talk about her pets. It worked for the time being.
The next day, my family was upset when I told them I was planning to go back to work on 9-12, so I stayed home that day, as did most of my co-workers and clients. Not knowing what to do with myself, I got on line at the Blood Bank in West Orange to give back in the only way I knew how at the time.
My tears and sadness quickly turned to anger and that anger has remained to this day, 9-11-06.
My first reaction was, "What was this pilot thinking?" when we saw the second plane hit. Now we knew it was no accident.
I knew who was responsible the minute I saw this and it came as no surprise. What DID come as a surprise was the collapse of the first tower, and later the second. I don't think anything could prepare us for that.
I am not a person who cries easily but that day was the exception. The same was true for many of my co-workers, of all ages, both men and women.
Needless to say, our CEO called us all into the conference room and sent us home early. Getting home is another story and I'll spare you that one.
I do remember walking up to Fifth Avenue and looking towards downtown. Even from Midtown Manhattan, you could see the billowing smoke all too clearly. It was a surreal expereince but then I remembered it was not surreal, but all too real.
Taking the ferry over to Weehawken (no buses or trains were running), I sat next to a woman who was clearly agitated, more so than I. I tried to distract her a bit by getting her to talk about her pets. It worked for the time being.
The next day, my family was upset when I told them I was planning to go back to work on 9-12, so I stayed home that day, as did most of my co-workers and clients. Not knowing what to do with myself, I got on line at the Blood Bank in West Orange to give back in the only way I knew how at the time.
My tears and sadness quickly turned to anger and that anger has remained to this day, 9-11-06.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Back from Cape Cod
I know, know, I've been remiss about posting. I've just been too damned busy, but in a good way: running, swimming, biking, days trips to the beach, hanging with friends, family. And now, I am told, summer is almost over...boo-hoo!
It's not so much a weather thing, the end of summer signifies buckling down and acting like a (ugh!) grown-up once again. No more lazy, hazy, crazy days. Plus, I absolutley HATE the shorter days, especially around October when we set the clocks back. To a runner, that's anathema. Well, I hear that daylight savings time is supposed to be abolished in 2007. Yippee!
The big news: DBF and I just got back from a week in Cape Cod, MA...what a gorgeous place! If you haven't been, it's a must. We did Martha's Vineyard (you really need a week there-one day does not do it justice), Provincetown (cute, quaint, lots of neat shops and places to eat, very gay-friendly), kayaking on the bay in S. Dennis. I promise that pix are coming. Just have to download them.
I should add this is a very pet-friendly place as well. It seems as if EVERYBODY has a Labrador. In fact, the owner of this one ice cream place we went to has 3 chocolate Labs and even offers a doggie treat on the menu: a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a dog biscuit stuck in it!
In Provincetown, we visited a doggie store and there was a sign inside that said "Absolutely no food, drinks, children inside store. Pets welcome." Gotta love a place like that, I tell ya! Of course, there are the famous Black Dog, Inc. stores all over the Cape and I just hadda buy an orange hoodie shirt with a black Labby on it!
And the architecture! Those of you who know me know I love Victorian and Gothic architecture and the Cape has loads of it, each one more beautiful than the next.
As for the running, I am having a good year so far. I took first place female in our annual Interclub Challenge and me and my swim partner, Anne, took first place female team in our annual biathlon. I've also placed in 1st, 2nd or 3rd in most of my races this year.
BF has decided he wants to do a marathon in Philly this November and now I am convinced as well and have started training for that! This WILL be my last marathon, I promise you that (unless I happen to get into the NYC Marathon lottery next year!). This one will make my 3rd and will also make me a 3-state marathoner: NY, NJ and PA!
Well, it's my first day back at work and I have managed to survive. I love the way everyone tells you how rested you look. Well, that will last for about 15 minutes. :-)
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Jethro Tull-"Living in the Past"
It's not so much a weather thing, the end of summer signifies buckling down and acting like a (ugh!) grown-up once again. No more lazy, hazy, crazy days. Plus, I absolutley HATE the shorter days, especially around October when we set the clocks back. To a runner, that's anathema. Well, I hear that daylight savings time is supposed to be abolished in 2007. Yippee!
The big news: DBF and I just got back from a week in Cape Cod, MA...what a gorgeous place! If you haven't been, it's a must. We did Martha's Vineyard (you really need a week there-one day does not do it justice), Provincetown (cute, quaint, lots of neat shops and places to eat, very gay-friendly), kayaking on the bay in S. Dennis. I promise that pix are coming. Just have to download them.
I should add this is a very pet-friendly place as well. It seems as if EVERYBODY has a Labrador. In fact, the owner of this one ice cream place we went to has 3 chocolate Labs and even offers a doggie treat on the menu: a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a dog biscuit stuck in it!
In Provincetown, we visited a doggie store and there was a sign inside that said "Absolutely no food, drinks, children inside store. Pets welcome." Gotta love a place like that, I tell ya! Of course, there are the famous Black Dog, Inc. stores all over the Cape and I just hadda buy an orange hoodie shirt with a black Labby on it!
And the architecture! Those of you who know me know I love Victorian and Gothic architecture and the Cape has loads of it, each one more beautiful than the next.
As for the running, I am having a good year so far. I took first place female in our annual Interclub Challenge and me and my swim partner, Anne, took first place female team in our annual biathlon. I've also placed in 1st, 2nd or 3rd in most of my races this year.
BF has decided he wants to do a marathon in Philly this November and now I am convinced as well and have started training for that! This WILL be my last marathon, I promise you that (unless I happen to get into the NYC Marathon lottery next year!). This one will make my 3rd and will also make me a 3-state marathoner: NY, NJ and PA!
Well, it's my first day back at work and I have managed to survive. I love the way everyone tells you how rested you look. Well, that will last for about 15 minutes. :-)
Current Mood: busy
Current Music: Jethro Tull-"Living in the Past"
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Saturday, June 03, 2006
A WTF? Moment
Last night was BF's bowling banquet (no GFs, no wives) so I made plans to have dinner over at a friend's house after work. She made dinner, I brought my air popper and after the movie, we watched "Capote." Well, after a horrendous commute home (torrential rains, bad traffic, a couple of accidents along way which, of course, creates rubbernecking), I just HAD to have a glass of wine or two.
Now normally, wine doesn't do much to me other than mellow me out but for some reason last night, I had a great deal of difficulty staying awake. Anyway, when the movie was over and I was sober enough, I drove home. It was nearly 11:30 and BF was in bed, snoozing to the TV. I decided to check my email. I noticed that my Norton Antivirus had just completed a check and everything looked good, so I clicked the "Finish" button. Well, underneath the Norton box was a little man, no lie, dressed like a butler, holding a tray with what looked like an envelope on it. No, I was NOT hallucinating but I did say, WTF?I probably should have been more cautious but I was curious and clicked on the little brown envelope. Up on my screen comes, "Welcome to Instamail!"
Evidently, this Instamail email program had somehow downloaded itself on my machine. Now I never heard of programs doing that but hey, today anything is possible, right? And sure enough, on my desktop were three Instamail icons. I have a perfectly good email program and don't want or need any more software on my computer so I went into the Control Panel to delete it, no problem.
I climb into bed and try not wake the BF but he woke up and kissed me hello. I told him about having some wine and then coming home to find a little butler with a tray on the computer and he said, "Oh my God." Apparently, a friend had sent him an email raving about this dopey email program and sent BF (who's not the most computer literate person in the world) the instructions on how to download it! Whoulda thunk it?
I told him that I would restore it if he wanted but explained that we really didn't need it and it would just be more crap clogging up our computer. He didn't seem to care one way or another.Well, it made for a good laugh anyway.
Now normally, wine doesn't do much to me other than mellow me out but for some reason last night, I had a great deal of difficulty staying awake. Anyway, when the movie was over and I was sober enough, I drove home. It was nearly 11:30 and BF was in bed, snoozing to the TV. I decided to check my email. I noticed that my Norton Antivirus had just completed a check and everything looked good, so I clicked the "Finish" button. Well, underneath the Norton box was a little man, no lie, dressed like a butler, holding a tray with what looked like an envelope on it. No, I was NOT hallucinating but I did say, WTF?I probably should have been more cautious but I was curious and clicked on the little brown envelope. Up on my screen comes, "Welcome to Instamail!"
Evidently, this Instamail email program had somehow downloaded itself on my machine. Now I never heard of programs doing that but hey, today anything is possible, right? And sure enough, on my desktop were three Instamail icons. I have a perfectly good email program and don't want or need any more software on my computer so I went into the Control Panel to delete it, no problem.
I climb into bed and try not wake the BF but he woke up and kissed me hello. I told him about having some wine and then coming home to find a little butler with a tray on the computer and he said, "Oh my God." Apparently, a friend had sent him an email raving about this dopey email program and sent BF (who's not the most computer literate person in the world) the instructions on how to download it! Whoulda thunk it?
I told him that I would restore it if he wanted but explained that we really didn't need it and it would just be more crap clogging up our computer. He didn't seem to care one way or another.Well, it made for a good laugh anyway.
Monday, May 29, 2006
Too Hot!
Well, I signed up for this Ridgewood 10K about 2 weeks ago and never expected 90-some-odd degree weather on May 28. It felt more like July!
Anway, there were 2 races, a 5K and a 10K. I figured since the 10K started at 8:45 AM and the 10K at 10, it would be cooler, right? Wrong...it was STILL hot as hell but hey, I managed to do my best 10K of the season at 51:28! Not a PR (a PR for me would be 50:11 or better) but hey, like I said, it was hot as hell. One of my friends actually had to drop out of the 5k because she felt faint. Another elite one-miler also passed out. Geez.
Out of the blue on Saturday, Tom says, "Hey, let's go the beach on Sunday." So we headed down to Bradley Beach. He picked the best day of the 3-day holiday, in my opinion. Warm, but not HOT, very little humidity, faint breeze...ahhh!
Today, after the race, me and Tom and couple of our running friends ended up at the Verona Pool. Too cold to swim (for me, anyway) but we had a great time just sitting around blabbing. I do have great friends; I am blessed.
But back to work tomorrow....bleh. I think Tom is really pushing for me to start looking for work in Jersey again. He's been leaving the Jobs section of the Ledger out for me to find. Hey, if I could find a job in NJ, I'd be there like shareware. Problem is, everyone thinks I am over qualified (I am not. I don't even have a master's degree, I just happen to have a good title), or that I want this tremendous salary (I don't. I can live on much less than I make in NYC). I really have to work at "dumbing down" my resume. I hate to do that but if it means getting what I want, I will.
Anway, there were 2 races, a 5K and a 10K. I figured since the 10K started at 8:45 AM and the 10K at 10, it would be cooler, right? Wrong...it was STILL hot as hell but hey, I managed to do my best 10K of the season at 51:28! Not a PR (a PR for me would be 50:11 or better) but hey, like I said, it was hot as hell. One of my friends actually had to drop out of the 5k because she felt faint. Another elite one-miler also passed out. Geez.
Out of the blue on Saturday, Tom says, "Hey, let's go the beach on Sunday." So we headed down to Bradley Beach. He picked the best day of the 3-day holiday, in my opinion. Warm, but not HOT, very little humidity, faint breeze...ahhh!
Today, after the race, me and Tom and couple of our running friends ended up at the Verona Pool. Too cold to swim (for me, anyway) but we had a great time just sitting around blabbing. I do have great friends; I am blessed.
But back to work tomorrow....bleh. I think Tom is really pushing for me to start looking for work in Jersey again. He's been leaving the Jobs section of the Ledger out for me to find. Hey, if I could find a job in NJ, I'd be there like shareware. Problem is, everyone thinks I am over qualified (I am not. I don't even have a master's degree, I just happen to have a good title), or that I want this tremendous salary (I don't. I can live on much less than I make in NYC). I really have to work at "dumbing down" my resume. I hate to do that but if it means getting what I want, I will.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Clueless in Portland
Don't get me wrong, I love my sister-in-law in Oregon but sometimes, well, she's a mite clueless.
I kept bugging her and my brother to send me more photos of my beloved god dog, Chief. She kept promising and promising but nothing ever arrived. So, I decided to be proactive and I mailed them a disposable camera and $$$ towards development so there would be no more excuses.
Well, I waited and waited and predictably, it was always something: "It's been raining out, I've been sooo busy, blah-blah-blah." But FINALLY, yesterday I got letter from them which I opened up with great anticipation...only to find 6 pix? WTF?
There was a nice card enclosed stating, "Thanks for the camera! Sorry it took me so long, but here are the pictures of Chief. We refuse to let you pay for development so here is your $10 back. Hope all is well."
She obviously thought the camera I sent her was for her own pictures since there are 24 exposures on a roll and I only got 6 of the dog. I should add that only 1 or 2 of them are any damn good. I mean, he's a black dog so you have to use the flash, even when you're outdoors but certainly indoors! How can you goof up a goof-proof camera? So, I have one of his with his "birthday bone" and another one with his girlfriend, Mojo, (a chocolate Lab) and an unidentified golden retriver, which I framed. I will post them here once I scan them.
So, I had a good laugh about this but it only means one thing: I have to travel out to Oregon myself to get any decent pictures!
I kept bugging her and my brother to send me more photos of my beloved god dog, Chief. She kept promising and promising but nothing ever arrived. So, I decided to be proactive and I mailed them a disposable camera and $$$ towards development so there would be no more excuses.
Well, I waited and waited and predictably, it was always something: "It's been raining out, I've been sooo busy, blah-blah-blah." But FINALLY, yesterday I got letter from them which I opened up with great anticipation...only to find 6 pix? WTF?
There was a nice card enclosed stating, "Thanks for the camera! Sorry it took me so long, but here are the pictures of Chief. We refuse to let you pay for development so here is your $10 back. Hope all is well."
She obviously thought the camera I sent her was for her own pictures since there are 24 exposures on a roll and I only got 6 of the dog. I should add that only 1 or 2 of them are any damn good. I mean, he's a black dog so you have to use the flash, even when you're outdoors but certainly indoors! How can you goof up a goof-proof camera? So, I have one of his with his "birthday bone" and another one with his girlfriend, Mojo, (a chocolate Lab) and an unidentified golden retriver, which I framed. I will post them here once I scan them.
So, I had a good laugh about this but it only means one thing: I have to travel out to Oregon myself to get any decent pictures!
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Friday, May 19, 2006
Pain I Haven't Used Yet
Ever hear the expression, "Ugly she/he hasn't used yet?" Well replace the word "ugly" with "pain" and that describes my visit to the masseuse to a T.
I always rave about this woman to my running friends and she is worth every penny. I wish I could afford to visit her every other week but for now, it's just when I have a problem, which lately, has been a stiff lower back and the back of my quads.
Well, she literally found pain that I didn't even know I had! I mean, we're talking the minute she laid her big, strong hands on me. I don't recall the last time I had so many knots. They were mostly located in my buttocks and lower back areas and the back of my thighs but she found some in my upper back as well, especially around the neck and shoulders! I guess it HAS been a long time.
She asked me a few times if she was hurting me. I answered "yes" but I told her to keep on keeping on because that was the only way to bring the knots to the surface. Trust me, I know from experience.
She said it my discomfort was mainly due to overuse but she also asked me if I had taken a fall recently. As a matter of fact, I had: Last week on the trail, I slipped on a small rock and landed on the ground. No biggie, no skin was broken, just a little scratched up. But she said that as a result of falling on my right side, my left was trying to overcompensate and that was causing a lot of my distress.
Well, today I feel about 90% pain-free and tomorrow I should be golden. I really need to try to visit her more often. Maybe if I cut back on my Guinness tab??
I always rave about this woman to my running friends and she is worth every penny. I wish I could afford to visit her every other week but for now, it's just when I have a problem, which lately, has been a stiff lower back and the back of my quads.
Well, she literally found pain that I didn't even know I had! I mean, we're talking the minute she laid her big, strong hands on me. I don't recall the last time I had so many knots. They were mostly located in my buttocks and lower back areas and the back of my thighs but she found some in my upper back as well, especially around the neck and shoulders! I guess it HAS been a long time.
She asked me a few times if she was hurting me. I answered "yes" but I told her to keep on keeping on because that was the only way to bring the knots to the surface. Trust me, I know from experience.
She said it my discomfort was mainly due to overuse but she also asked me if I had taken a fall recently. As a matter of fact, I had: Last week on the trail, I slipped on a small rock and landed on the ground. No biggie, no skin was broken, just a little scratched up. But she said that as a result of falling on my right side, my left was trying to overcompensate and that was causing a lot of my distress.
Well, today I feel about 90% pain-free and tomorrow I should be golden. I really need to try to visit her more often. Maybe if I cut back on my Guinness tab??
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
1:48 and counting!
Last night, I went to the track near my house to do some speed work. After warming up for a- mile-and-a-half, I decided to clock my laps. At the beginning of the running season in March, I was doing a lap right around 2 minutes which, to me, sucks, but it IS the beginning of the season.
Well, my first lap--are you ready for this?--was 1:48! That is the fastest lap I have ever done! Needless to say my additonal 3 or 4 laps paled, averaging around 1:52 but still, not too shabby, considering I wasn't feeling my best last night. I was cold (what else is new?), tired and my lower back stiffness was acting up (I'm getting a much needed massage in Thursday, though).
A 1:48 lap translates into about a 7:12 minute mile, providing you can keep up the pace. That's where endurance comes in. But still, that's encouraging for this early in the season.
Back to being cold. I want to have my thyroid checked out. I have been cold a lot this spring. Tom says it's because it has been, uh, cold. Very astute observation of his, LOL. But I don't remember being this distressed by it before. I think the 10-pound weight loss MIGHT have something to do with it. I noticed that after I lost the weight that heat didn't bother me as much, either, which is a good thing. But I will have the thyroid checked out just in case. It would help if I had a GP, though. Haven't had to see one in about, 25 years! I'll ask my sister-in-law for a referral.
Also need to talk with her about Las Vegas. T has a birthday coming up (65th-yikes!) and I would like to take him to Vegas for a long weekend. He would LOVE it! But I have no clue how much it will cost, which travel agent I should call, et cetera. Pia and my brother have been out there several times so she's the one to ask.
Well, my first lap--are you ready for this?--was 1:48! That is the fastest lap I have ever done! Needless to say my additonal 3 or 4 laps paled, averaging around 1:52 but still, not too shabby, considering I wasn't feeling my best last night. I was cold (what else is new?), tired and my lower back stiffness was acting up (I'm getting a much needed massage in Thursday, though).
A 1:48 lap translates into about a 7:12 minute mile, providing you can keep up the pace. That's where endurance comes in. But still, that's encouraging for this early in the season.
Back to being cold. I want to have my thyroid checked out. I have been cold a lot this spring. Tom says it's because it has been, uh, cold. Very astute observation of his, LOL. But I don't remember being this distressed by it before. I think the 10-pound weight loss MIGHT have something to do with it. I noticed that after I lost the weight that heat didn't bother me as much, either, which is a good thing. But I will have the thyroid checked out just in case. It would help if I had a GP, though. Haven't had to see one in about, 25 years! I'll ask my sister-in-law for a referral.
Also need to talk with her about Las Vegas. T has a birthday coming up (65th-yikes!) and I would like to take him to Vegas for a long weekend. He would LOVE it! But I have no clue how much it will cost, which travel agent I should call, et cetera. Pia and my brother have been out there several times so she's the one to ask.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
A Poem for My Late Mom
TILT-A-WHIRL
One hot summer night in ‘65
we all went to Palisades Park,
"swings all day and after dark,"
me, Mommy, Daddy and Bobby.
I couldn't get enough
of the rides, the rides, the rides!
Oh, I wanted to be turned upside-down,
spun like cotton candy
until I was pink with dizziness,
holding onto my father for dear life,
while screaming faster, faster, faster!
We stopped at the Tilt-a-Whirl
where you're chained up
inside a cage
and the bottom drops out
while you're spinning,
upside-down, around and sideways.
No one wanted to try it,
except Mommy.
We couldn't believe it.
The same woman who shuddered
when I did wheelies down the big hill
on my bike, who wouldn't put her head
under the water at the town pool,
this same woman was being
transported to another dimension,
where lights danced
in myriad of colors, where
swirling white and silver metal rims
danced above people's lollipop heads.
No one wanted to try it
except Mommy.
We looked up, all of us
never taking our eyes
off that magical silver cage, glowing against the night,
spinning into eternity, cutting
its own path through outer space
with our mother inside.
One hot summer night in ‘65
we all went to Palisades Park,
"swings all day and after dark,"
me, Mommy, Daddy and Bobby.
I couldn't get enough
of the rides, the rides, the rides!
Oh, I wanted to be turned upside-down,
spun like cotton candy
until I was pink with dizziness,
holding onto my father for dear life,
while screaming faster, faster, faster!
We stopped at the Tilt-a-Whirl
where you're chained up
inside a cage
and the bottom drops out
while you're spinning,
upside-down, around and sideways.
No one wanted to try it,
except Mommy.
We couldn't believe it.
The same woman who shuddered
when I did wheelies down the big hill
on my bike, who wouldn't put her head
under the water at the town pool,
this same woman was being
transported to another dimension,
where lights danced
in myriad of colors, where
swirling white and silver metal rims
danced above people's lollipop heads.
No one wanted to try it
except Mommy.
We looked up, all of us
never taking our eyes
off that magical silver cage, glowing against the night,
spinning into eternity, cutting
its own path through outer space
with our mother inside.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Oh Yeah, Sign Me Up to Have Kids...
Amazing how many of the psychopathic little bastards there are, isn't it?
Teen Gets 12 Years for Poisoning Milk
By Associated Press
LAKEVIEW, Ore. - A 13-year-old girl convicted of attempting to kill two classmates by slipping rat poison into their milk was sentenced to up to 12 years in a juvenile detention center.
Holly Sweeney was ordered Friday to remain at the Hillcrest Girls' School in Salem until she is 25 with early release possible if she responds to treatment, the judge ruled.
Earlier this month, the judge found the Lakeview girl and her friend, Stephanie Quesnoy, 12, guilty of plotting and executing a plan to kill two classmates they disliked. Quesnoy is to be sentenced May 22.
Teen Gets 12 Years for Poisoning Milk
By Associated Press
LAKEVIEW, Ore. - A 13-year-old girl convicted of attempting to kill two classmates by slipping rat poison into their milk was sentenced to up to 12 years in a juvenile detention center.
Holly Sweeney was ordered Friday to remain at the Hillcrest Girls' School in Salem until she is 25 with early release possible if she responds to treatment, the judge ruled.
Earlier this month, the judge found the Lakeview girl and her friend, Stephanie Quesnoy, 12, guilty of plotting and executing a plan to kill two classmates they disliked. Quesnoy is to be sentenced May 22.
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